Encroaching on Ape Habitat: Deforestation and Industrial Agriculture in Cameroon, Liberia and on Borneo

The expansion of industrial agriculture is a primary driver of tropical forest loss (Kartodihardjo and Supriono, 2000; Abdullah and Nakagoshi, 2008; Sodhi et al., 2010). Tropical forests harbor high levels of terrestrial biodiversity and are the principal habitat for apes in Africa and Asia (Junker et al., 2012). Numerous agro-industrial crops are found in ape ranges, including oil palm, peanut, rubber and sugarcane, as well as banana, cacao, coffee, corn, sorghum and tea. This chapter places a particular focus on oil palm cultivation as its impact on tropical forests and various endangered species has been under the loupe far more than that of other crops, particularly in Southeast Asia. CHAPTER 2